10 week post-op report/questions/feedback

[HenryChloe14]

Just about 10 weeks Post-Op left hip BHR, Dr. Edwin Su HSS...2-24-14
Just reporting on my progress 10 weeks post-op, left hip BHR...had moderate to severe arthritic hip, had pre-op exercising, running and putting on shoe and sock issues with a bone spur that acted up now and then...Doc cleaned out hip etc...so had crutches most 2 weeks than down to one week 3 than cane for 2 or so and now nothing. since week 3 have been at my gym doing treadmill and stationary bike and upper body and walking in the pool...since have graduated to the arch trainer with PT post-op week 4+ 3x a week and doing all the stretches at home. I still have some soreness and stiffness and a problem still getting my sock and shoe on left foot...although I can do it...but with GREAT DIFFUCULITY!! is this normal...also have some soreness in my left knee and shin when going up steps etc...but very little if no pain in the hip joint area...is this good progress?? sorry for the long winded etc...any feedback or comments would be helpful!!

[chuckm]

All is perfectly normal Henry. I'm not sure if anyone can reach their foot after the surgery. It's something that you have to work at. You will get random soreness anywhere in the body for bit, but it all goes back to normal.

Chuckm

[hernanu]

It sounds like good progress, it's good to be active, but stay within yourself.

You're healing at two levels, one is much more important than the other.

The first is healing the bone to the device. You want to do everything you can to support that. That takes a good six months, from attaching the bone fully to the device to making the bone stem stronger, to just overall bone strength.

That's the most important thing, and that can be strengthened by gradual exercise like walking, riding the bike and any others recommended by your doctor. The important thing to me is to do activities that make the joining stronger without putting so much pressure on it that it starts degrading the junction.

So it's a bone - device thing.

Exercise of the right type and intensity helps the healing, but time and patience is really the important thing. Especially for the type A personalities that we have here. It was the hardest thing for me, especially when I felt muscularly so much better, and the pain was so far away.

Once you're set (pun intended), you can start on getting your muscles back in gear. I really started on working out hard when 9-10 months rolled around. Others have begun earlier, some later. The time doesn't matter as much as getting back to full strength at the right time for you.

I used physical therapy from week two to five (at home, very light), week five to twelve (outpatient, more active), then hired a trainer at my gym for a month to help me sort out a good workout regimen.

As to sock on - I used my sock putter onner device, that worked great for me. I think I started doing it al fresco (without the device) at about twelve weeks.

So I think you're right on track. Just downshift when your body tells you to, this is something where you don't run through the pain.

Sounds like you're doing well, keep it up...

[Debcoco]

I am 5 months out from surgery and can't believe how fast time has flown.  I still have some "tenderness" in the groin area when I put my socks/shoes on the operated side.  In the mornings, bending down to pick up the newspaper in the driveway I'm stiff..but gets better throughout the day.  Drying my foot/toes on the operated side still "tight" feeling.  But, it's so much better. Time heals. I feel great, no pain. I did not rush. Like Hernanu wrote, it's a bone thing. My priority was to let the bone heal. I now walk 1 hour each day (try to) and I go to the gym twice a week for light workouts.  I tried  the stationary bike, but for me, I felt like I could "feel" the device so I quit.  I think because I'm still "chicken" I will wait for the ARC Trainer. I love it and miss it, but still just want to be sure.

[Miguelito]

What works for me for cleaning foot in shower as well as socks and shoes is bending knee and lifting foot up behind you. Not sure i figured this out until second hip.
Mike